THE sister of a man who died in custody has said she believes there is institutional racism in the police force.
Sheku Bayoh was 32 when he died in 2015 after being restrained by officers responding to a call in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
A public inquiry into his death was announced by Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf on Tuesday.
It came after the Crown confirmed on Monday that it would not be bringing any prosecutions over his death.
READ MORE: Sheku Bayoh's family angry as charges against police ruled out
The public inquiry will examine circumstances leading up to and following Bayoh's death and will look to establish the role his race may have played in it.
Bayoh's sister Kadijatu Johnson said she believes race was a factor.
She told BBC Good Morning Scotland: "We believe race played its part in the way my brother died, because the way they treated him, the way they treated us as a family, all of that proved that race was involved in his death."
Asked whether Police Scotland is institutionally racist she replied: "Yes I think so, I think it's institutional racism in the police force."
Yousaf and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met relatives of Bayoh in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday before the inquiry was announced.
Johnson welcomed the public inquiry and said she hopes it provides answers and leads to lessons being learned.
She said: "This announcement yesterday was very welcome, we're grateful to the First Minister for granting us this announcement yesterday, and the justice minister as well. This will look at the way my brother died and we are hoping to get the truth as well.
"It will deal with the aftermath of the death, how we were treated as a family, how he also was treated, how he came to his death, we will find out the truth about all of this.
"The last four and a half years has been very traumatic, very heartbreaking and very hard for us to deal with all of this, and for us to hear the decision on Monday that no-one is going to be prosecuted was devastating for us as well, but for us to hear the news yesterday, for us to know that the public inquiry will go ahead, we're very grateful that this will go ahead.
"We want this inquiry to be meaningful to us as a family and also to Scottish society as well. We want lessons to be learned, we want changes to happen.
"I don't want my brother's name to go in vain, I want my brother's name to be remembered as somebody good, not the way he has been tarnished for the past four years."
Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: "Our thoughts remain with Sheku Bayoh's family and friends following his death and we continue to offer support to anyone affected by this tragic incident.
"The Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf has determined that there will be a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 and we will engage fully with that process.
"Police Scotland is committed to providing a policing service to all of our fellow citizens based on our core values of integrity, fairness and respect."
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